School-based health centers need $100 million in funding, Rep. Elise Stefanik urged in a letter to top House leaders released on Thursday. 

The money should be included in the next federal coronavirus relief package, Stefanik wrote in the letter.

Stefanik is seeking the money after some facilities hav ebeen forced to closed as schools remain shuttered during the pandemic. School-based health centers, especailly in rural areas, provide for basic care when a hospital or clinic is too far away and no public transportation is available. 

Centers that are still operating have faced revenue losses.

“Many communities in the North Country rely on SBHC’s to address their immediate primary and behavioral healthcare needs,” Stefanik said. 

“Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of these centers have been forced to close or limit the services they provide. I am leading this effort, along with my New York colleagues, to urge leadership to include funding for these centers in the fourth federal stimulus package. Supporting our SBHC’s correlates directly to taking the burden off of our hospitals and community health centers, who have seen an unprecedented challenge during the COVID-19 outbreak. I will continue to advocate for community-based health centers and their unique needs.”

New York has more than 260 school-based health centers.